Education--learning--is not necessarily the pathway to truth.

Paul told Timothy that the men of today would be “always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (II Timothy 3:17). In his letter to the Romans, Paul says that men, in an attempt to prove that they are wise, will suppress the truth and, claiming to be wise, become fools--their minds and hearts darkened (Romans 1:21-22). Even the Pharisees, the religious leaders of Jesus' day, searched the Scriptures, but Jesus told them that they had no idea what the truth was. He stood right in front of them and they didn't comprehend; they had blind minds and blind hearts (Matthew 23:16-17, for example).

So much of our lives and society is compartmentalized and segmented. It’s easy to think, “Worship happens at church; pastors are responsible for biblical teaching and discipleship. Learning about the world happens at school; teachers are responsible for disseminating knowledge. Experiencing relationships happens at home and with friends; parents are responsible for teaching their children about love, grace, and forgiveness.” While these assumptions and responsibilities are in part correct, they do not fully represent how Scripture prescribes our lives.

Epistemology is a big word that simply describes the currency with which schools operate. A school’s and culture’s epistemology is its theory of knowledge; namely, what knowledge is and how it is acquired. And the truth is, our culture and our schools have been experiencing a significant epistemological crisis that is having tremendous consequences in our schools, our culture, and even our churches.